cars

Tesla Model S: 1st Car of the Year with no internal combustion engine

The 2013 Motor Trend Car of the Year has all the features you'd expect from a vehicle that has earned that honor. It has a light body, advanced design, a roomy cabin, and plenty of load capacity. What the Tesla Model S doesn't have is an internal combustion engine.

Motor Trend heaps praise on the Model S, saying it drives like a sports car and sashays like a supermodel working a Paris catwalk. I never thought about a car being able to sashay, but it's certainly an evocative comparison.

This all-electric supermodel starts at $58,570 and has a range of 265 miles. That's not enough for a cross-country road trip, though a new network of Supercharger fast charging stations could make it more practical for long journeys.… Read more

Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera: Call it Un-mellow Yellow. CNET On Cars, Episode 6

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I've been reviewing about 100 cars a year for CNET Car Tech since 2005, but until now, never had a Lamborghini darken my doorstep. That changes this week as we take you into the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera. Now, you know me, I seldom like to follow the well-worn path when cars come in. I've shown the miserable failings of some of the most celebrated cars on earth, and stacked up the heroic strengths of some of the most pedestrian. … Read more

Take a drive down the 'Route 66 of the future'

Dutch designer Daan Roosegaarde thinks we drive on dumb roads. So he teamed with mega European construction company Heijmans Infrastructure to create a vision of a "smart highway" for the Netherlands -- and possibly the rest of the world.

Perhaps the most exciting aspect of these future roads is the fact that two concepts of the bunch -- glow-in-the-dark roads and dynamic paint -- should arrive by mid-2013. The group plans to introduce the rest of the concepts before 2015, giving the world a glimpse at how technology could revolutionize the way we drive by making it a safer and more sustainable experience. … Read more

Storm surge: Uber just doubled car service pricing in NYC

New Yorkers already are having a tough time getting around in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, but Uber just made it a little harder, at least on the wallet.

The company, which provides an app for locating and booking car service, says today that it has reinstated "Surge Pricing" in the city. Basically what that means is car drivers can charge astronomical fees to shuttle riders around. Yesterday, that would have been about double the normal fare, based on what Uber ended up paying drivers.

In New York, where public transportation has been hobbled by the natural disaster, … Read more

Pioneer doubles down on MixTrax for new car stereos

LAS VEGAS--At the 2012 SEMA Show, Pioneer announced all-new lines of CD and DVD/multimedia receivers. The changes for this new generation are sweeping, encompassing nearly every product Pioneer makes; subtle, consisting mostly of moderate upgrades; and significant.

Starting with the 6.1-inch AVH-X1500DVD ($300), MixTrax compatibility comes to Pioneer's line of DVD/multimedia receivers. MixTrax, Pioneer's automated DJ and playlist software, analyzes your music library and creates custom mixes that play back while you drive. Compatibility with those mixes and control over how they're played is now baked into every Pioneer receiver with an "X&… Read more

Scosche announces its first car stereo and there's an app for it

LAS VEGAS--Scosche has been manufacturing car stereo dashboard mounting kits, wire harnesses, and installation accessories for so many years, but it has never offered a car stereo receiver of its own...until now.

At the 2012 SEMA Show, Scosche showed off the SCDBTA60 Car Stereo Receiver. This unit features an internal four-channel amplifier that outputs a maximum of 40 watts per channel and three preamp outputs for adding external amps. It's got a CD player and an SD card slot, and can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth (HFP and A2DP), USB, or an auxiliary input. By itself, it'… Read more

DeLorean push car costume for the littlest Marty McFly

Instructables user cory4281 scores a major win for geek moms everywhere with an impressive DeLorean push car and Marty McFly costume for her son on Halloween.

The "Back to the Future"-inspired costume began with a red puffy vest her son already had and an innocent aside about Marty McFly. It ended with the transformation of a push car into a little souped-up DeLorean with wheels rotated down, ready to fly through time.… Read more

Tesla celebrates production of 1,000th Model S car

After a sluggish start in its Model S car production, it seems electric-car company Tesla is getting back on track for the year's end. Reaching a milestone today, Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that his company had just finished the production of its 1,000th Model S car.

As noted in Musk's tweet, Tesla has made more cars in October than the whole rest of the year combined. In a July letter to shareholders, Tesla said its Model S volume projection was 5,000 units for 2012. However, Tesla's ability to crank out the Model S has … Read more

Tech car buying guide

When shopping for a new car, the old questions remain relevant. Does it have enough seats for my family and friends? Are the seats comfortable? Will it suit all the uses for which I need it? Does it get good fuel economy? Is it safe?

However, there are many new tech features available that can make your drives more comfortable, keep you out of traffic jams, and prevent accidents. In addition, there are different drivetrain options that can save you a lot of money, depending on your lifestyle.

In this guide, we will let you know what features you can … Read more

Can the new Dart give Dodge a sexy Italian accent? CNET On Cars, Episode 5

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Seldom have I received so much e-mail asking me to check out a new car than I have for the new Dodge Dart. So here it is, in this episode, a very promising car with one big flaw in the configuration the company sent us. Stay on it, Dodge, you're that close to having a winner here.

I thought I'd seen every oddball stat about driving until the State Farm team shot me one about hybrid drivers having far lower injury rates in accidents. … Read more